August 10, 2013, Coimbatore: Day 1 in Round 2 of the 16th JK Tyre Racing Championship 2013 presented motorsport aficionados with countless moments packed with speed, thrills and excitement at the historic Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam near here. While Vishnu Prasad cornered glory and took the chequered flags in the newly introduced JK Racing India Series and one race of the Formula LGB 4 class, Sarosh Hataria delighted spectators with a grand display of swiftness and excellent control.

Race 1 of the JK Racing India Series saw Vishnu Prasad taking pole with a best lap time of 1 minute 06.799 seconds and a top speed of 113.175 kmph. Keeping him company were Bangalore boys Arjun Maini and Akhil Rabindra. Making the start he desired under overcast skies, the promising Prasad went on to get better and more confident with each passing lap, and registered a smooth victory. Winning in a total time of 17:40.299 the Chennai racer said, “I am glad to have won this race and thank JK Tyre for the opportunity. EUROINTERNATIONAL has been extremely helpful with the car. For my part, I feel satisfied to have put in some consistent driving throughout the race. I am now much more comfortable in the car.” Though Maini hoped for a better start, he put in steady yet careful driving and retained his No. 2 spot (17:40.973), driving admirably. Kohlapur’s Chittesh Mandody, who is known to thrive under challenging situations, overtook Rabindra in the first quarter of the contest and stayed there (17:41.161). The podium belonged to the three young men, who are proud graduates from JK Tyre’s karting programmes. Championship points leader Akhil Khushlani did not have the best of qualifying and finished fourth.

Introduced to the championship last year, the Formula LGB 4 continued to prove its credibility as India’s finest grassroots level Formula car. The first of the weekend’s three races witnessed Coimbatore’s Sarosh Hataria - already in the lead on the championship points table – clinching pole with a best time of 1:12.486 seconds. Driving with confidence and poise, the Dark Don Racing driver went on to register a delightful lights to flag win in a total time of 19:38.407. “I was disappointed with practice but feel vital setup changes on the car made all the difference. The results are proof of the improvement on the car”, said Hataria. An unlucky Ameya Bafna (Rayo Racing), who started a promising second on the grid, was forced to finish fourteenth due to a mid-race incident, in the bargain giving Chennai’s Saran Vikram the perfect opportunity to race ahead into second place, which he kept until the end. Likewise, Vishnu Prasad (Meco Racing), who started fourth, also grabbed the opportunity to register a second podium finish of the day and come third. As this race progressed, the pack of the top three built up an enviable lead and were invincible throughout.

An immensely exciting second Formula LGB 4 race was flagged off under wet conditions and witnessed a constant drizzle. While it empowered racers who love driving in the rain, it was challenging for others. Vishnu Prasad was the one who excelled under the conditions, and was part of a battle royale for first spot. The race saw Prasad winning in style (21:59.648) and in the scheme of things, clinching a dream third podium on the same day. Coming second, Dark Don Racing’s Advait Deodhar secured his first ever podium finish (22:00.454) while Saran Vikram finished third (22:01.653).

Day 1 of Round 2 clearly belonged to Prasad, who drove magnificently well in the races in which he participated.

The races on Sunday, 11th August 2012 will commence at 9:30 am. Two races of the JK Racing India Series, two of the Volkswagen Polo R Cup and one Formula LGB 4 race will be held apart from a host of other exciting support events.

~Vishnu Prasad registers five dream podium finishes in JK Racing India Series and Formula LGB 4 over the weekend~

~Prashanth Tharani and Jeffery Kruger share honors in Polo R Cup~

August 11, 2013, Coimbatore: The concluding day of Round 2 of the 16th JK Tyre Racing Championship witnessed thrills galore in five exciting races, two each in the JK Racing India Series and JK Tyre VW Polo R Cup and one in the Formula LGB 4 class, at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. Vishnu Prasad

Fresh after yesterday’s scintillating victory in the first race, the JK Racing India Series’ second race witnessed pole position holder Vishnu Prasad leading the pack of drivers by a margin that kept widening after each round. The young driver had a dominant race that he attributed to a lightning-fast opening lap, proving just how decisive the first few laps are. He was followed by Bangalore boys Akhil Rabindra and Arjun Maini for the first few laps before Maini gave up his position to the Kohlapur based Chittesh Mandody. The trio held onto their positions until the end and Prasad took the chequered flag with a margin of six well-made seconds. Towards the end, an event involving Karminder Singh and Maini helped Hyderabad’s Akhil Khushlani to register a fourth place finish with a total time of 17:00.389.

Starting on pole in the final FB02 race, Prasad stole the limelight yet again. Though weary with the amount of racing over the weekend, Prasad stuck to his ground though a young Maini put constant pressure on him. Maini’s car seemed packed with power and helped him do the fastest lap of the race. Vishnu grabbed yet another incredible podium (17:01.571) while Mandody challenged Maini on a number of occasions but the Bangalorean drove admirably to finish second in a total time of 17:01.891.

In a smooth Race 1 of the JK Tyre VW Polo R Cup, South African driver Jeffrey Kruger started on pole accompanied by Prashant Tharani and Yatin Magu. The race witnessed Tharani taking an early lead, which he held until the end (19:12.212), trailed by Kruger (19:13.271). Rahil Noorani, drove commendably to end the race third (19:23.552) after having started in fifth position. In Race 2 of the Polo R Cup that started with reversed grid positions, Gowdam Raj was first on the grid. Keeping him company were Noorani and Hanoosh Supraneni. The 15-lap race witnessed an enjoyable tussle between Kruger, Tharani, Yatin Magu, Raj, Angad Matharoo, and Noorani, who showed the way followed by Kruger and Tharani. Since Noorani was unlucky to be given a 20-second penalty, Kruger won, registering his second podium finish followed by Tharani (19:43.595) and Magu (19:48.293) who was a new face on the podium.

Round 2 of the JK Tyre Racing Championship also witnessed Volkswagen Vento cars making their debut on Kari Motor Speedway in an exhibition race, opening the possibility of an all-new racing series in the future.

The final Race 3 of the Formula LGB 4 class was undoubtedly the most exciting contest of the day thanks to a magnificent blend of high-speed action, mid-race incidents and a royal battle for victory. Mumbai’s Rayo Racing driver Ameya Bafna was the pole starter followed by Vishnu Prasad (Meco Racing) and Advait Deodhar (Dark Don Racing). Chennai’s Saran Vikram and Sarosh Hataria (Dark Don Racing) were fourth and fifth on the grid respectively. In a magnificent display of talent and expertise, the Coimbatore based Hataria made his way up the order and battled it out with Bafna, who was going strong in first place. The pair engaged in an enthralling display of racing, overtaking each other a number of times. In the ninth lap, the race was red flagged due to an incident involving Avalanche Racing driver M D Tushar, who skidded on the track, hit the barrier and flipped over but was unhurt. Once the race resumed, an unlucky Bafna was forced to retire due to a technical problem with his car. There was no looking back for Hataria, who cemented his lead thereon, chased by Vikram and Prasad. During the very last lap, and just when everybody thought the contest was over, Karthik Krishna, at No. 4, made contact with Vikram in a bid to overtake Prasad who was in third place. Krishna was given a 30-second penalty for the incident owing to which Prasad finished tenth and Vikram last. Young Meco Racing drivers Tejasram Caveripakam (11:28.794) and Akash Gowda (11:31.123) followed Hataria (11:25.798).

In September, round three of the six-round JK Tyre Racing Championship 2013 will once again offer drivers and spectators the finest racing action in the country.